Snowplow



May l5, E945. D- ELUS 2,375,981 v sNow PLOW Filed June 24, 1945 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VEN TOR.

A T TOR/vfys May 15, 1945. D; L. ELLIS 2,375,981-

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A TOR/VEYS D. ELLIS May l5, 1945.

SNOW PLOW I 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 24, 1945- Arron/vers Maw E5, i945. D. L. ELLIS 2,375,981

SNOW PLOW Filed June 24, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

RJ A T TOHNE YS Patented May 15, 1945 SNOWPLOW David L. Ellis, Seattle, Wash., assigner of one-half to Paul G. Ellis, Seattle, Wash.

Application June 24, 1943Seral No. 492,073

4 Claims.

This invention relates to snow plows of the type utilizing rotary heads, and is to be employed primarily by railways.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a snow plow in the form of a self-contained, self-pro-pelled unit which can be operated by electric power generated in the unit, said power being utilized not only for propelling the unit at a desired speed in either of two directions along a track, but also for driving the rotary head employed for removing the snow in the path of the unit.

A further object is to provide a machine of this character which can be handled by one man and which, when in operation, will not scatter. the snow so as to obscure the vision of the operator but will convey or guide the snow along a, predetermined path as fast as it is removed by the head.

Another object is to provide a rotary head of new and novel construction utilizing separate radially disposed scoops on the active face thereof which operate to cut into the bank of snow in regular succession, thereby dividing the snow into separate radial streams all of which ow to a common outlet through which it is discharged by centrifugal force due to the speed of rotation of the head.

A still further object is to provide a rotary head the parts of which can be disconnected readily and thereafter assembled, whereby repairs and replacements can be made easily when necessary.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a front elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the rotary head and a portion of the hood associated therewith.

Figure 5- is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the center portion of one of the heads and adjacent parts, parts being broken away.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on line 6 6, Figure 5.

Figure 'I is a section on line l-l, Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a horizontal section through a, portion of one of the rotary heads showing how the scoops are held assembled with the main disk of the rotary head.

Figure 9 is a plan view of a blank from which one of the scoops is formed.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates the trucks of the unit supporting bolsters 2 which, in turn, are xedly connected to the structural steel bed frame 3 of the apparatus. The supporting wheels 4 are engaged by axles 5, a pair of these axles being associated with the wheels at each end of the structure, as indicated in Fig. l and one or both axles of each pair being equipped with a D. C. variable speed traction motor 6.

A main or intermediate housing 1 is erected on the intermediate portion of the frame 3 and serves to house separate gasoline-electric power generating units indicated at 8 and 9 respectively. These can be of any preferred construction although in the apparatus as now designed, a VI2 gasoline engine will be directly connected to a D. C` electric generator. The current generated in the unit 8 is utilized for driving the motors 6 on the axles 5 and, obviously, various means, not shown, may be utilized for controlling the ow of current to these motors so that they can be driven at any selected speeds. These controls will be located in the pilot-houses hereinafter referred to. Inasmuch as the controls in themselves constitute no part of the present invention, they have not been shown or described but have merely been mentioned as being essential to the actuation Vof the unit along the track.

Cross-beams portions of the frame 3 and support jacks Il arranged in pairs, the jacks of each pair being provided with operating shafts I2 designed to receive motion simultaneously from a reversible electric motor I3 equipped with suitable controls, not shown, whereby said motors can be operated in either direction at any speed desired. The

l0 are secured within the end jacks at the two ends of the main frame support cross-frames I4 at their outer ends while the inner ends of these cross-frames are hingedly mounted as at I5 whereby the cross-frames I4 can be swung upwardly and downwardly about the transverse axes formed by the hinges. This actuation of the cross-frames is eiected by means of the jacks and their motors and connections. As motors I3 are under the control of the occupant of thejpilot-house, it will be apparent that, at the will of the occupant, either or both pilot-houses can be swung upwardly or downwardly thus to bring them to desired positions relative to the main frame 3. Each pilot-house is arranged in sliding and lapping relation with the adjacent end of the main housing 1 and is provided with the windows, doors and other conpveniences.

Each of the cross-frames I4 is provided with bearings I1 having a main shaft I8 extended in the direction of the lengthr of the apparatusand provided with any suitable means whereby it can be rotated` in one direction only. In the present structure the driving means for each shaft I 8 includes a. gear I9 on the shaft locatedbetween OPPDSGd gears 2.0 Which.- I. tllln., are. seclllfed OH theshait of motors ZI. These are'variable speed `D. C.` motors adapted to be supplied with'current from the unit 9, the current to the motors being controlled by the pilot when located in either of the houses I6. The two motors 2| under each pilot-,house are adapted to rotate simultaneously in a counter-clockwise direction and at the same speed selected by the operator. ThusV both motors will exert a driving force upon the gear I9Y I simultaneously so that shaft I8 will be rotated in one dir ection only at the selected speed.

To the outer end of the shaft I8 is secured a large substantially frusto-conical spider 22 suitably reenforced, this spider being flared baci;- wardly away from a central dish-like portion 2,3 in which is located a recess 24. Radiating from this central disk-like portion and formed integral with the spider are channeled portions 25inc1jeasing in depth outwardly toward the periphery of the spider and each substantially semicircular in cross-section. A forwardly extended rib is located at the outer marginal end of each of these channels 25, as has been indicated at 26 while at the inner ends of the channels 25 in the spider f' is a circular centerpiece 21 fitted on the adjacent end of the shaft I8 and held tightly in the recess 24 by bolts 2,8 or the like.A The center of this piece 21 provides a rest or contact surface for a conical bit 2 9 which is screwed onto the end of the shaftand acts as a nut, it being locked thereon in any suitable manner, if desired andA being formed in its periphery with guide grooves 3 0 increasing gradually `in width towald their back end where they open into diverging chan-V nels 3I formed in the front face of the centerpiece 21. These channels 3,0 likewise gradually increase in width and depth toward their outer ends.

Seated within eacho f the channels 25 is a scoop .32 formed preferably of sheet Asteel or the like initially shaped as shown, for example, in Fig. 9. This sheet is bent to form a scoop which is smallvat one end and large at its other end, the free longitudinal edges of the scoop which have been indicated at 33 and 34 respectively likewise diverging outwardly. The edge 3 3 is disposed nearer the axial center of the scoop than is the following or cutting edge 34Y and this latter edge is formed, near its 'inner end, which is at the small end of the scoop, with teeth 35 while at spaced points in said edge located outwardly from the teeth 35, are recesses 36 each of which is adapted to receive a steel tooth 31 projecting substantially in the direction of rotation of the wheel. A marginal recess 38 is formed in each plate 32 for the reception of the rib 26 in the particular recess in which this scoop is located.

It is to be understood that one of these peculiarly shaped scoops formed of` sheet plate bent substantially to conical form, is to be located in each of the recesses 25 as indicated for example in Figs. 4 and 5 and the several scoops are all Vanchored securely to the spider 22 by means of bolts 39 which extend forwardly from the spider and between the scoops and engage clamping strips 4.0. These strips are located between the scoops at points beyond the centers thereof and are flanged as at 4I and 42 to nt snugly against theadjacent scoops. Obviously by tightening the bolts 38the scoops will be bound securely against the spider 22'. It will be noted that the flanges 4I adjacent to the toothed edges of the scoop are wider than are the iianges 42 so as thus to afford essential stiffening for this toothed edge of each scoop which is the advancing or digging edge.

The rotary head for-med by the spider and the scoops thereon is supported within a hood 43 the bottom and side portions of which preferably are toothed as indicated at 44 and this head, when in its lowermost position, is adapted to be supported close to the top surfaces of the rails R on which the apparatus is mounted. The top portion of the hood, which is located close to the top of the rotary head formed by the spider 22 and the scoops thereon, has an outlet tube 45 extending therefrom and this tube, which is iixed relative to the hood, is located at such an angle that snow being carried at high speed within the scoops during the rotation of the head, will be discharged outwardly by centrifugal force every time one of these scoops is brought into register with the tube 4.5. A delivery flue 46 is swiveled on the. upper end of the tube 4 5 andis adaptd to be rotated in any suitable `manner so that snow delivered thereto from tube 45 can be thrown in any desiredV direction away from the apparatus. This delivery tube 45 extends Vabove the top of the pilot-house I8 so that the snow being discharged will at no time interfere `with `the vision of the occupant `of the pilot-house. Obviously any suitable means can be employed for rotating the delivery tube relative to tube 45. For example a hand-wheel 41 can be used for rotating a gear 48 which, in turn, meshes with a circular gear 49 xed to the bottom end portion of the tube 4,6. In this connection see Fig. 5.

Aswill ibe apparent by `referring to the drawings, the apparatus for cutting into and delivering the snow is duplicated at both endsvof the main frame 3,. rlhe rotary heads are adapted to rotate in one direction only and in practice only the head at the advancing end of the apparatus is actuated. It is intended to drive the unit toward the bank to be cleared but it will not be. necessary to turn the apparatus around to do this because either end can be brought into action as found most desirable. Normally both of the rotary heads and their hoods are in clevated positions asrshown for example, at the left of Figil l, so that the apparatus can move over a track without being interfered with b y any obstruction kand without causing friction on the rails. The apparatus is driven under it own power, current being generated by the unit 8 for example, and directed to the wheel-operating motors through control elements as before explained. After the apparatus has been brought to the point where snow is to be removed, the hood at the advancing end of the apparatus. which is the end nearest the bank to be removed, is lowered onto the track, this being' done by energizing motor E3 so as to operate the jacks and cause the frame It associated with said head to swing downwardly. After the parts have been brought to the desired elevation, the rotary head A vis set in motion. The speed o rotation ymust be determined by the operator and must be in proportion to the speed of advance of the apparatus. This is necessary in order that the snow may be removed as fast as the apparatus advances and none of the parts become clogged. As the head is rotated in one direction under control of the operator, the advancing or cutting edges of the several radial scoops will plow into the snow bank and slice oi portions of the snow successively. These portions will be gathered within the respective scoops 32 and as the outer ends of the scoops are brought into register with the outlet tube 45, centrifugal force will result in throwing the snow outwardly from the scoops into the tube where it will, in turn, be blown outwardly through the tube d6 and delivered in any direction in which said tube may be pointed.

The conical retainer 29 will drive readily into the bank of snow and allow the snow to be divided into separate streams which will be directed along the channels 30 and 3l into the respective scoops. The teeth 35 and 3l will bite into the snow bank so as to insure removal of portions of the snow and their proper deflection into the adjacent scoops.

It is to be understood of course that the operator is to be located in the pilot-house at the advancing end of the apparatus, all necessaryl controls being located in each pilot-house.

Obviously any one of the scoops 32 can be removed readily for the purpose of making repairs or replacements and also, if desired, the rotary head at either end of the apparatus can be disconnected from its shaft.

What is claimed is:

l. Apparatus of the class described including a vehicle, a hood connected to and extending beyond one end of the vehicle, a wheel mounted for rotation within the hood, said hood having an open face and a marginal outlet, said wheel including a structure having radial channels increasing in depth toward the margin thereof, substantially conical scoops seated within the channels and each having an advancing cutting edge extending longitudinally thereof, there being an inlet at the inner end of each scoop and along the cutting edge of the scoop, said scoops and the structure to which they are connected constituting a rotary cutting head, and means for rotating said head to bring the outer ends of the scoops successively into register with the outlet.

2. An apparatus of the class described including a vehicle, a hood connected to and extending beyond one end of the vehicle, said hood having an open face and a marginal outlet, and a cutting head mounted for rotation in the hood, said head including a conical structure having radial channels in one face increasing in depth toward the outer margin of the structure, substantially conical scoops secured within the respective channels, each scoop having an inlet at its inner or small end and longitudinally of the scoop, there being a cutting edge along one side of the longitudinal inlet, teeth extending from the cutting edge, and means for rotating the edge in one direction to bring the large or outer ends of the scoops successively into register with the outlet.

3. In apparatus of the class described the combination with a self-propelled vehicle, of a hood connected to and extending beyond one end of the vehicle, said hood having an open face and a marginal outlet, and a rotary head supported within the hood, said head including a substantially conical structure having radially disposed channels increasing inv depth toward the outer margin of the structure from the inner ends of ythe channels, substantially conical scoops seated within the respective recesses and having small ends adjacent to the center of the structure and large ends adjacent to the outer margin of the structure, retaining strips interposed between the scoops, means for connecting said strips to the structure to bind on the scoops and hold them fixed to the structure and to each other, each of said scoops having an inlet at its inner end and a longitudinal inlet extending from the inner inlet, there being a cutting edge along one side of sach longitudinal inlet positioned to cut into and through a bank of snow in the path thereof, and teeth extending from each cutting edge.

4. A snow plow including a vehicle, a hood mounted at one end thereof, and having an open face and lateral outlet opening, a rotary head including radially disposed substantially conical scoops having cutting edges, open at their inner ends, a conical bit disposed at the inner ends of said scoops, and projecting beyond the scoops, said bit having channels communicating with the scoops, through which material is directed to the scoops to be discharged from the head.

DAVID L. ELLIS. 

